Discord, the popular chat app, is partnering with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT throughout the app. While the use of chatbots and machine learning in apps is nothing new, Discord plans to use the technology in a few more novel and potentially useful ways. The company will begin rolling out a public experiment next week that will augment Clyde, the built-in bot Discord employs to notify users of errors and respond to their slash commands, with conversational capabilities. Discord envisions people turning to Clyde for information they would have obtained from Google in the past, such as asking the chatbot for the local time in the place where someone on your server lives to decide if it would be appropriate to message them.
Discord is quick to note that Clyde is programmed not to bother you and your friends. Admins can also disable the chatbot if they don’t want to use the feature on their server. The first time you activate Clyde, Discord will display an opt-in prompt. For users worried about privacy, Discord assures them that the company is not sharing user data with OpenAI to assist the startup in training its machine learning models.
In addition to Clyde, Discord is using OpenAI’s technology to enhance AutoMod, the automated content moderation tool the company introduced last June. AutoMod uses large language models to interpret and apply server rules, making it capable of spotting and taking action against people who attempt to go against a community’s norms and expectations. The new and improved AutoMod is rolling out to select servers starting today.
Discord is also using OpenAI tech to power a feature that everyone should find useful: Conversation Summaries. This feature promises to solve one of Discord’s longstanding pain points. When it arrives in a limited number of servers next week, the feature will begin creating bundles designed to provide users with an overview of chats they may have missed while away from the app. Each bundle will include a title, a summary of what was said and any images that were shared, as well as a log of who took part.
Discord has been exploring how machine learning can improve user safety for a while. The company believes that with its emphasis on bringing friends and communities together, it has a leg up on the competition. Every month, more than 30 million people use AI applications through the platform, and almost 3 million servers include at least one AI experience.
While the upgrades to Clyde and AutoMod may not dramatically change the experience of the app for users who primarily use Discord to chat with friends, Conversation Summaries should prove to be a helpful addition. Discord’s use of machine learning technology to improve user safety and enhance user experience highlights the potential of artificial intelligence in our daily lives. As Discord continues to explore the benefits of machine learning, it will be interesting to see how it further improves its platform and what new features it will introduce in the future.
